Yet another what do you think noobie thread.

[Jay23]

So the plot thickens! With the new info on self leveling and bailout fbl, it is possible to make a 450l have similar features to the 230s re: safe mode, bailout switch? Could i have my cake and eat it?

[tomatwalden]

Yes, but the 230S is £180 (roughly) BNF. An average FBL unit with bailout will cost the same if not more before you even add the heli ...

[Jay23]

True, but i will have the larger heli witch should be more stable (in the wind) and has a good supply of spares and upgrades with the added security that the 230 offers. I'll be honest i was on the cusp of buying a 230, it was in my shopping cart, but now...well....i don't know, i'll tell you one thing, i'm not going to rush into making any decision until i have thoroughly researched these fbl controllers and all they have to offer.

[tomatwalden]

.... i'll tell you one thing, i'm not going to rush into making any decision until i have thoroughly researched these fbl controllers and all they have to offer.

Spot on!

[bigpops]

Almost certainly. Bear in mind, even "normal" FBLs without bailout only use 5 channels - ele, ail, throttle, pitch, gain. I doubt you've made a wrong choice with the DX6.

What about rudder?

[tomatwalden]

LOL! It must be later than I realised ... my brain is obviously mush!

[Granpappy]

As regards the self leveling fbl can they be used with a 6 channel transmitter?, i fear i may have made the wrong choice with the DX6

Self level and rescue would normally need a 7th channel. However with the BD 3SX you can program the Tail Gyro gain in the controller as opposed to having it adjustable on the transmitter. This then allows you to use this channel for self level and rescue. So in essence you can use self level and rescue on a 6 channel transmitter.

I cant say whether other fbl controllers with self level and rescue will allow you to do the same as the BD.

[Grumpy]

However with the BD 3SX you can program the Tail Gyro gain in the controller as opposed to having it adjustable on the transmitter.

I think that the Spirit allows the same trick (but check first).

The Spirit is the best bang for buck as you get all the features for about £140, or £155 if you go for the 'Pro' version... The Pro is the one I want for as it has more connections including two Spektrum satellite connections (the standard Spirit has only one). Also the Pro has the latest and greatest '9 axis' sensor which not only has 3 axis gyro and 3 axis accelerometer (like all the other self level FBL controllers) but also a 3 axis magnetic compass. The compass means that what the unit 'thinks' is level can't drift during flight as the 6 axis ones can.

[Granpappy]

On paper all FBL controllers carry out the same function. Some have more features than others which generally makes them a bit more expensive. In reality it's a bit different. I've only had experience of 2 FBL controllers, the Gpro and the Bavarian Demon 3SX. They are actually totally different to fly. Whilst I liked the Gpro because all I ever had before was flybarred helis, the BD is worlds apart in performance. The Gpro in comparison just felt vague for want of a better word. Changing from Gpro to BD was a bit like stepping out of a Ford Focus and getting in to a BMW M3. You just felt a lot more in control.

It's all subjective anyway. What one person likes can be totally different from another person. I can only speak from experience. An M3 is a lot more expensive than a Focus but they are both cars and will get you from A to B.

[Jay23]

I'm now thinking maybe I should fire back the dx6 whilst I still can and swap it for a dx7

[Peteski]

I'm now thinking maybe I should fire back the dx6 whilst I still can and swap it for a dx7

You can set up most rescue systems using the gyro channel, so your DX6 would work in most cases. You certainly can do that with Microbeast Plus Pro and Spektrum AR7210BX, but it's not ideal. It's much easier to set up and adjust on a dedicated channel. For that reason alone I started off with a DX8. If you can swap for a DX7, I would do it. It will save you a bit of messing around later on.

Of the rescue controllers mentioned, Spirit is undoubtedly the best value for money and well proven now. With the new pro version coming out, there should be plenty of used current units coming on the market, which would be excellent value. Or even the new pro itself is very competitively priced. The new Spektrum AR7210BX should be good value too and includes an integrated Spektrum receiver, which is really handy on a 450 to avoid the fragile external sat wires that you would need with any of the others. Spektrum would probably be my choice for that reason - single box solution with less wiring. All these latest units fly really well when set up properly. My experience with BeastX (Microbeast Plus) has been very good, it flew pretty good out of the box and even better with a bit of tweaking.

Another heli you could consider that has full rescue (actually uses the Spektrum FBL I mentioned above) is the new Blade 270 CFX. It's actually bigger than the 300 CFX even though Blade don't seem to realise that themselves on their website! It's closer in size to a 450 and being BNF it will be very convenient to get flying quickly. It's also a real powerhouse of a 3D heli and not something you will ever outgrow skill wise.

270 CFX: Blade - #1 By Design

[Grumpy]

The DX7 also comes with rechargeable batteries as standard. Sooner or later most people end up upgrading the DX6 to rechargeable, so by the time you factor that in the DX7 isn't much more expensive.

[Peteski]

Good point Grumpy, that was the case too when I bought my DX8 (now effectively replaced by new DX7). The DX6 + lion battery was exactly the same price as a discounted DX8. If I was buying my first TX today I'd definitely go for the DX7.

[Jay23]

Returned the dx6 this morning to Sussex models, rung them first the guy was pleasant and will sort me out with the dx7 as a replacement. I should really be careful what I read in forums, when I was researching the difference between dx6 and 7 alot of people were saying the 7 was getting discontinued, but I guess they have just replaced it with a new model....duh!

[Grumpy]

yeah, there have been four models of the DX7:

• Original DX7 (DSM2 protocol JR like styling) - discontinued years ago
• DX7se - fast frame rate version of DX7 - also discontinued years ago.
• DX7s - Looks just like the DX8 - discontinued recently
• 'new' DX7 - looks like the new DX6, brand new model with all the bells and whistles

Just to add to the potential for confusion there have been three models of the DX6 too!